Memorial To Glorious Age Of Steam Rusting Away Fast In Leesburg Park

The steam locomotive at Herlong Park in Leesburg is suffering from a severe case of oxidation and people neglect.

The Iron Horse needs a major tummy tuck and several coats of good rustproof paint. The train's once gleaming body is showing gaping holes. Its underbelly is rusting.

The steam engine was built by Baldwin Locomotive Works in Phildelphia in 1920 and was removed from service in the late 1950s.

It was displayed at Herlong Park in the 1970s on land donated by Albert Sidney and Cora Herlong to the city of Leesburg for recreational uses. The park was dedicated in 1975.

A plaque at the base of the display contains the names of 28 businessmen who contributed money to have the old engine moved to Leesburg and restored in 1960.

The plaque reads:

''To perpetuate the era of steam. These men dedicate this steamer to generations that have not seen railroads during the glamorous age of the Iron Horse.''

The project was the idea of Albert Sidney Herlong Sr., a longtime Leesburg resident. He was a citrus and agriculture businessman and a railroad enthusiast.

P.C. Gorman, a Leesburg attorney, remembers getting a call from the Herlongs.

''A.S. said it would cost about $2,000 to bring the locomotive to Leesburg and to restore it,'' said Gorman, whose name is among the 28 on the dedication plaque. ''I asked him how much he wanted from me and he said, $50, so I gave him 50 bucks.''

For years, ''Old 104'' was parked at North 14th Street and Center Street before it was moved to its present location, which fronts heavily traveled U.S. Highway 441 and a favorite fishing spot.

But if the condition of ''Old 104'' is allowed to continue deteriorating it won't be around 100 years from now for generations who never experienced the golden era of the Iron Horse steam-powered locomotives.